Investigation the Relationship between Attachment Styles and Forgivingness with Marital Satisfaction in Couples

Document Type : Original

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant professor of psychology and Teaching Exceptional Children group, University of TehranوTehran, Iran

3 MA in General Psychology, University of Tehran Payamenoor, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Purpose:One of the prime objectives of researches in the area of couples relations is determining factors that influence couple interaction and predict marital satisfaction. The present study investigates the relationship between attachment styles and forgiveness with marital satisfaction in couples.
Methods: The research was acorrelation. The population was selected from among the couples of Masal 75 couples (n=150) through accessible sampling procedure. Data were collected using the adult attachment styles questionnaire of Collins & Read, Enright Forgiveness Inventory and Enrich Marital Satisfaction Scale which were confirmed to be reliable and valid. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and step wise regression analysis in SPSS software, version 16.
Findings: Results revealed that there was a negative significant relationship between avoidant and anxious attachment styles and marital satisfaction (P≤0.01).Moreover there was a positive and significant relation between the secure attachment style and marital satisfaction. In addition, there was a positive significant relationship between forgiveness and marital satisfaction. Additionally, the research indicated that attachment and forgiveness styles explained 28% of variations in marital satisfaction that was statistically significant (p≤0.01). Moreover, regression analysis showed that 10% of variations in marital satisfaction can be accounted only by behavioral domain of forgiveness in couples.
Conclusion: current study showed that significant relations exist among attachment styles of couples, their forgiveness, as well as their marital satisfaction. Each parent uses the style of attachment that has been developed during his/her infancy. In addition, given the role of forgiveness in reduction of negative feeling and increasing positive feelings, it is plausible to assume that forgiveness is associated with a higher level of marital satisfaction.  In the future researches it is necessary to clarity whether manipulating the styles of attachment, and forgiveness, can lead to the changes in marital satisfaction.

Keywords

References

Allemand, M., Amberg, I., Zimprich, D., and Fincham, F. D. (2007). The role of trait forgiveness and relationship satisfacon in epistiodic forgiveness. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26(2): 199-217.
Backus, L. N. (2009). Establishing links between desecration, forgiveness and marital quality during pregnancy. Master of Arts Dissertation, Graduate College of Bowling Green State University.
Banse.R. (2004). Adult attachment and marital satisfaction: Evidence for dyadic configuration effects. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 21, 273–282.
Baron.K. L., Smith. T. W., Butner. J., Nealey-Moore. J., Howkins. M. W., & Uchino. B. N., (2006). Hostility, Anger, and Marital Adjustment: Concurrent and Prospective Associations with Psychosocial Vulnerability. Journal of Behavioral Medicine,. 1, 1-10.
Beesley. D. (2002). Control, Attachment Style, and Relationship Satisfaction Among Adult Children of Alcoholics. Journal of Mental Health Counseling.24, 281-298.
Brush, B. L; Mc Gee, E; Cavanagh, B & Woodward, M, (2001). Forgiveness: a concept analysis, Journal of Holistic Nurses Association, 19, 27-24.
Burpee, L. C., & Langer, E. J. (2005). Mindfulness and marital satisfaction. Journal of Adult Development, 12, 43–51.
Charnia. M.R., & Ickes.W. (2007). Predicting marital satisfaction: Social absorption and individuation versus attachment anxiety and avoidance. Personal Relationships, 14, 187–208.
Collins, N. L., & Read, S. J. (1990). Adult attachment, wrking models, andrelationship quality in dating couples. Journal of Personality and SocialPsychology, 58, 644-663.
Creasey, G., 2002. Associations between working models of attachment and conflictManagement behavior in romantic couples. J. Counsel. Psychol. 49, 365–375.
Dakin. J. &Wampler.R. (2008). Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness, but It Helps: Marital Satisfaction, Psychological Distress,and Demographic Differences Between Low- and Middle-Income Clinic Couples. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 36, 300–311.
Enright, R. D., & The Human Development Study Group (1991). The moraldevelopment of forgiveness. In W. Kurtines & J. Gewirtz (Eds.),Handbook of moral behavior and development (Vol. 1, pp. 123-152).Hillsdale, NJ : Erlbaum.
Feeny, J. A. (2002). Attachment, marital interaction, and relationship Fowers, B. J. (1993). ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale: A Brief Research and Clinical Tool. Journal of Family Psychology, 7, 176-185.
Fincham. F. D.Beach. S. R. H. Davila. J. (2004). Forgiveness and Conflict Resolution in Marriage. Journal of Family Psychology. Vol. 18, No. 1, 72–81.
Gordon, K. C, Hughes, F. M, Tomcik, N. D, Dixon, L. J, Litzinger, S. C, (2009). Widening Sphers of impact:The role of Forgiveness in Martial and Family Functining, Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 1, 1-13.
Gouin, J.P., Glaser, R., Loving, T. J., Malarkey, W. B., Stowell, J. and et al. (2009).Attachment avoidance predicts inflammatory responses to marital conflict. Brain,Behavior, and Immunity, 23, 898–904.
Hazan, G., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment  Process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol, 52, no 3.511- 524.
Hill, E, (2001). Understanding forgiveness as discovery: Implications for marital and family therapy,contemporary family therapy, 23 , 4.
Jose. O., &. Alfons. V. (2007). Do Demographics Affect Marital Satisfaction?. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 33, 73–85.
Kendra C. Jones, Sarah R. Welton, Tanner C. Oliver and John W.(2011). Mindfulness, Spousal Attachment, and Marital Satisfaction: A Mediated Model.The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families.19(4) 357-361
Macaskill, A, (2005). Defining forgiveness: Christian clergy and general population perspectives, Journal of Personality, 5, 1237-1269.
Magyar, G. M. (2001). Violating the sacred: An initial study of desecration in romantic relationship among college students and its implications for mental and physical health. Master dissertation, Bowling Green State University.
Meyers. S. A., & Landsberger. S. A. (2002). Direct and indirect pathways between adult attachment style and marital satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 9, 159–172.
Mikulincer, M., Gillath, O., Shaver, P.R. (2002). Activation of the attachment system inadulthood: threat-related primes increase the accessibility of mentalrepresentations ofattachment figures. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 83, 881–895.
Mirgain.S.A., &Cordova. J. V. (2007). Emotion Skills and Marital Health: The Association Between Observed and Self-reported Emotion Skills, Intimacy, and Marital Satisfaction. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26, 983–1009.
Mirzadeh, M. Fallahchai, R.(2012). The Relationship between Forgiveness and Marital Satisfaction. Journal of
Life Science and Biomedicine.2(6)278-282.
Özmen. O. Atik. G. (2010). Attachment styles and marital adjustment of Turkish married individuals. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences. 367–371.
Parsons. R. N., Nalbone.D .P., Kilmer.J.M.,& Wetchler.J.L. (2007). Identity Development, Differentiation, Personal Authority, and Degree of Religiosity as Predictors of Interfaith Marital Satisfaction. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 35, 343–361.
Peleg.O.(2008). The Relation Between Differentiation of Self and Marital Satisfaction: What Can Be Learned From Married People Over the Course of Life?. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 36, 388–401.
Rye, M. S; Loiacono, D. M; Folk, C. D; Olszewski, B. T;Heim, T.A & Madia, B. P, (2001). Evaluation of the psychometric properties of two forgiveness scales.Current Psychology: Development. Learning. Personality, 20,260- 277.
Shackelford. T.K., Besser.A., Goetz. A. T. (2008). Personality, Marital Satisfaction, and Probability of Marital Infidelity. Individual Differences Research, 6, 13-25.
Stackert. R. A., & Bursik. K. (2003). Why am I unsatisfied? Adult attachment style, gendered irrational relationship beliefs, and young adult romantic relationship satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences 34,  1419–1429.
Stanhope, M. and Lancaster, J. (2000). Community health Philadelphia; USA: J.B. Lippincott Company. 477480.
Steuber, K. R. (2005). Adult attachment, confilict style and relationship satisfaction : comprehensive model. Unpublished master`s thesis , Del aware university.
Thompson, L.y; Snyder, c,r; Hoffman,l;Michael,S.T; Rasmussen, H; B;Laurels, H,L; Neufeld, J. E; shorey, H.S; Roberts, J;& Roberts, D.E, (2005). Dispositional forgiveness of self, others, and situations, Journal of Personality, 2, 313 – 359.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 06 August 2012
  • Accept Date: 15 March 2013

Share

How to cite

Statistics